Project aims to improve Lake Fields

Published: Tuesday, April 23, 2013 at 8:10 p.m.

Last Modified: Tuesday, April 23, 2013 at 8:10 p.m.

Lafourche environmental and levee officials are teaming up on a dredging and marsh creation project in Lake Fields they hope will help vastly improve water quality and bring fisheries habitat back to the once-vibrant lake.

The project is being completed by the North Lafourche Levee District to make up for impacts caused by a drainage project in Company Canal. North Lafourche Levee Director Dwayne Bourgeois said the district was looking for a less-costly project that would also provide benefits to the public, and the dredging and wetland creation in Lake Fields fits the bill.

The aim of the project is to dredge lower Bayou Folse, also known as Camp Canal, to help improve water flow and water quality, and build marsh terraces along the bank of Camp Canal and Lake Fields to help protect shorelines. The marsh terraces will be built with material dredged from the canal bottom, which is piled adjacent to the bank to create a platform where new marsh can grow.

The project costs about $528,000, Bourgeois said. The North Lafourche Levee District partnered with the Lafourche Parish Fish and Game Commission, which put $50,000 toward the project cost, Bourgeois said.

The Barataria-Terrebonne National Estuary Program will also contribute, bringing in volunteers to plant the newly built wetland terraces with locally harvested wetland plants including giant cut grass, wild rice and maidencane, said Joe Dantin, volunteer coordinator with the estuary program and a member of the Lafourche Parish Game and Fish Commission.

Before the 1960s, Lake Fields was known for clear water and robust underwater vegetation that helped to sustain excellent sport fishing and waterfowl populations, said Vince Guillory, Lafourche Parish Fish and Game Commission chairman.

It remains popular for outdoor recreation today because of its relative closeness to communities and the number of camps along the lake. But the lake itself has suffered in recent years because of poor water quality. Fish and waterfowl populations have declined dramatically.

“All that vegetation in the lake died out and make the lake unusable for fishing,” said Kerry St. Pé, director of the Barataia-Terrebonne National Estuary Program.

Changes in the local watershed have caused increased amounts of muddy, nutrient-rich water carrying the runoff of local cattle pastures, farms and communities. This has caused algae to bloom in the lake. And without enough sun penetrating the water, vegetation on the bottom of the lake died off, creating poor habitat for wildlife.

Shoreline erosion in the lake also increased without the wave-dampening cushion provided by dense growths of plants, exposing fragile interior wetlands to waves in some locations.

“It was a paradise,” St. Pé said. “And to see that disappear was a tragedy. This is something we can do that will really make a difference.”

The dredging along Camp Canal will create about 18,100 feet of marsh terraces or about 12.7 total acres of elevated marsh stretching along the bayou from Company Canal to Commercial Canal. The dredge will make three passes through the bayou to dredge and pile material. The third pass is under way.

At Lake Fields, the plan is to build about 8,720 feet of terraces or 6.8 acres of marsh. The terraces will stretch along the northeast Lake Fields shoreline to Bayou Dumar.

After giving the newly built land time to settle, the Barataria-Terrebonne National Estuary Program plans to send volunteers to the site in May to plant new wetland grasses, which will help stabilize the land and protect against erosion.

After one year, dead plants will be replaced if the overall survival of plants is less than 80 percent.

In addition to the creation of new habitat, the dredging will improve water flow into Lake Fields and solve a problem for camp owners along Bayou Folse. The bayou had become so silted-in that it was as shallow as 2 1/2 feet in some areas.

The dredging has deepened the bayou to about 9 feet, though some of the removed material may settle back into the canal.

Guillory said this was a unique opportunity for the levee district and the Barataria-Terrebonne National Estuary Program to step in and help accomplish restoration goals the commission has had for some time, using work the levee district was required to do for a public good.

“I think its a win-win-win situation for everyone,” Bourgeois said.

If you would like to volunteer for the Lake Fields restoration project or other projects through the Barataria-Terrebonne National Estuary Program, contact Dantin at 447-0860 or joe@btnep.org.

Staff Writer Nikki Buskey can be reached at 448-7636 or nicole.buskey@houmatoday.com.

<p>Lafourche environmental and levee officials are teaming up on a dredging and marsh creation project in Lake Fields they hope will help vastly improve water quality and bring fisheries habitat back to the once-vibrant lake.</p><p>The project is being completed by the North Lafourche Levee District to make up for impacts caused by a drainage project in Company Canal. North Lafourche Levee Director Dwayne Bourgeois said the district was looking for a less-costly project that would also provide benefits to the public, and the dredging and wetland creation in Lake Fields fits the bill.</p><p>The aim of the project is to dredge lower Bayou Folse, also known as Camp Canal, to help improve water flow and water quality, and build marsh terraces along the bank of Camp Canal and Lake Fields to help protect shorelines. The marsh terraces will be built with material dredged from the canal bottom, which is piled adjacent to the bank to create a platform where new marsh can grow.</p><p>The project costs about $528,000, Bourgeois said. The North Lafourche Levee District partnered with the Lafourche Parish Fish and Game Commission, which put $50,000 toward the project cost, Bourgeois said. </p><p>The Barataria-Terrebonne National Estuary Program will also contribute, bringing in volunteers to plant the newly built wetland terraces with locally harvested wetland plants including giant cut grass, wild rice and maidencane, said Joe Dantin, volunteer coordinator with the estuary program and a member of the Lafourche Parish Game and Fish Commission.</p><p>Before the 1960s, Lake Fields was known for clear water and robust underwater vegetation that helped to sustain excellent sport fishing and waterfowl populations, said Vince Guillory, Lafourche Parish Fish and Game Commission chairman.</p><p>It remains popular for outdoor recreation today because of its relative closeness to communities and the number of camps along the lake. But the lake itself has suffered in recent years because of poor water quality. Fish and waterfowl populations have declined dramatically.</p><p>“All that vegetation in the lake died out and make the lake unusable for fishing,” said Kerry St. Pé, director of the Barataia-Terrebonne National Estuary Program.</p><p>Changes in the local watershed have caused increased amounts of muddy, nutrient-rich water carrying the runoff of local cattle pastures, farms and communities. This has caused algae to bloom in the lake. And without enough sun penetrating the water, vegetation on the bottom of the lake died off, creating poor habitat for wildlife.</p><p>Shoreline erosion in the lake also increased without the wave-dampening cushion provided by dense growths of plants, exposing fragile interior wetlands to waves in some locations.</p><p>“It was a paradise,” St. Pé said. “And to see that disappear was a tragedy. This is something we can do that will really make a difference.”</p><p>The dredging along Camp Canal will create about 18,100 feet of marsh terraces or about 12.7 total acres of elevated marsh stretching along the bayou from Company Canal to Commercial Canal. The dredge will make three passes through the bayou to dredge and pile material. The third pass is under way.</p><p>At Lake Fields, the plan is to build about 8,720 feet of terraces or 6.8 acres of marsh. The terraces will stretch along the northeast Lake Fields shoreline to Bayou Dumar.</p><p>After giving the newly built land time to settle, the Barataria-Terrebonne National Estuary Program plans to send volunteers to the site in May to plant new wetland grasses, which will help stabilize the land and protect against erosion. </p><p>After one year, dead plants will be replaced if the overall survival of plants is less than 80 percent.</p><p>In addition to the creation of new habitat, the dredging will improve water flow into Lake Fields and solve a problem for camp owners along Bayou Folse. The bayou had become so silted-in that it was as shallow as 2 1/2 feet in some areas.</p><p>The dredging has deepened the bayou to about 9 feet, though some of the removed material may settle back into the canal.</p><p>Guillory said this was a unique opportunity for the levee district and the Barataria-Terrebonne National Estuary Program to step in and help accomplish restoration goals the commission has had for some time, using work the levee district was required to do for a public good.</p><p>“I think its a win-win-win situation for everyone,” Bourgeois said.</p><p>If you would like to volunteer for the Lake Fields restoration project or other projects through the Barataria-Terrebonne National Estuary Program, contact Dantin at 447-0860 or joe@btnep.org. </p><p>Staff Writer Nikki Buskey can be reached at 448-7636 or nicole.buskey@houmatoday.com.</p>